Harvester reels extend transversely across a desired field path, and are rotated about a transverse axis to comb and support engaged plants as they are being cut. Such reels typically utilize elongated bats which are powered by an eccentric driving mechanism that maintains the bats in a substantially vertical attitude while the reel is rotated. An example of such a reel construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,299, issued Nov. 13, 1973. The bats shown in this prior patent are made from wood. They carry a plurality of metal pick-up tines having wound coils at their midsections.
In recent years, wood bats have been supplanted by hollow tubular bats, and metal tines have been at least partially replaced by plastic tines. Examples are detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,030, issued Mar. 12, 1974. The illustrated tubular bats have a hollow teardrop shape, with front and rear walls converging downwardly and abutting one another along their bottom edges. The plastic tines are typically mounted along the rear walls of the bats (in the direction of crop engagement). They are hooked under the bottom edge of the supporting bat.
Despite substantial improvements which have occurred in the design of plastic tines, there remain innumerable harvesting conditions which are best met by the use of metal tines, which have greater strength, durability, and bending properties than can be achieved in a plastic tine construction. This is particularly true where the tines are in ground contact. Such conditions can be encountered when harvesting wind blown crops such as peas or lentils, and when harvesting rice.
Many purchasers of modern harvester reels outfitted with plastic tines have found the reel to be unsatisfactory simply because of the limitations of the plastic tines themselves. Prior to the present improvements, it was then necessary to modify the entire bat structure in order to utilize metal tines on such reels. The present improvement permits retrofitting of a tubular reel with metal tines if plastic tines should prove unsatisfactory in actual practice. It also permits metal tines and plastic tines to be used interchangeably. Metal tines can be located at the outer ends of a harvester reel, where greater durability of the tines can be essential for successful operation.
The present invention arose from a desire to mount metal tines on the harvester reel bats disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,030, which is hereby incorporated into this disclosure by reference. This improvement was designed to permit the user of such bats to selectively utilize metal tines when desired, without modifying the reel or existing bats.